A Call to Leadership in Service

The point: Embrace the tension of being both leaders and servants in the office of deacon, bringing glory to God and a good testimony to the church.

Jesus' parable of the unrighteous steward is used to highlight the worldly wisdom of the 'sons of this age' in pursuing their own interests, contrasting it with the need for 'sons of light' to be wise in their own sphere.

I have given a name to this session as A Call to Leadership in Service. When Jesus taught in Luke 16 about the unrighteous steward who bargained with his master's debtors in order to feather his own nest, our Lord observed, The sons of this age are wiser in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. The sons of this age are wiser in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. In Luke 7, we see a Roman soldier.

0:24 - 1:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Embrace the tension of being both leaders and servants in the office of deacon, bringing glory to God and a good testimony to the church.

The story of the Roman centurion in Luke 7 is used as an example of someone who understood both being under authority and having authority, serving as a model for deacons.

A Roman soldier who exemplified such a wise view of the world in which he operated. Through some Jewish leaders, this Roman centurion had asked Jesus to come and save the life of his slave. But he did not think it was necessary for Jesus to make the trip. He knew that Jesus had authority to speak from a distance and the slave would be healed.

1:04 - 1:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Have a heightened concern for spiritual endeavors and needs, and a stronger, more aggressive desire for the glory of Christ to be seen in the church than regular members.

The analogy of a carpenter's foreman is used to illustrate that a leader, even in a subordinate role, should be concerned with the 'boss's problems' and proactively seek solutions, not just perform assigned tasks.

What would you think of a carpenter's foreman who didn't care about his boss's deadlines or plans for the future? Look at a foreman who just goes through his day doing the work he's been given to do. Never looking up, never thinking about others, always letting others figure out how to solve problems. No, he's a foreman because he is thinking about the boss's problems.

25:36 - 26:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware that you do not cross the boundary and start to take more to yourselves than you have been given in your office of service.

Examples like a carpenter foreman wanting to be the boss, a student teaching the teacher, or a citizen telling the president how to run the country are used to illustrate the sinful tendency of usurping authority.

The two patterns that we're tempted to go into. One is usurping authority, the other abdicating responsibility. It doesn't take very much imagination for any of us to know what I'm talking about when I speak of seizing authority. The carpenter foreman, instead of wanting to help the boss, wants to be the boss.

26:49 - 27:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware that you do not cross the boundary and start to take more to yourselves than you have been given in your office of service.

Diotrephes, Absalom, and Korah are cited as biblical examples of individuals who loved preeminence, grumbled under authority, or were not content with their privileged position, illustrating the danger of usurping authority.

And I urge you to meditate upon the bad experiences and examples of men like Diotrephes, who loved to have the preeminence, or Absalom, who grumbled under the gracious rule of King David and thought he could do it so much better. Or consider Korah, given the office of a Levitical priest, but not content with his privileged position, wanting a higher profile and ready to usurp Moses' place. If we stand ready to share the task of our elders and to enter into the world of God, we will be able to do it. And if we stand ready to share the task of our elders and to enter into the world of God, we wi...

27:42 - 28:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and deal with any lack of desire in you to make more effort at the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional levels.

The analogy of a line of army recruits, everyone talking and thinking they are qualified to lead, is used to illustrate the negative cultural influence of democracy and egalitarianism on godly leadership.

Very briefly, I see at least three types of reasons why abdication is so prevalent in our churches today. First, the cultural environment we live in is a terrible influence on godly, assertive, masculine leadership. We live in a country where democracy, that is, everyone has a right to be heard, and egalitarianism, that is, everybody is just as competent as the next person to do the job, those are the rules of the day. Those are the rules of the day.

29:17 - 29:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and deal with any lack of desire in you to make more effort at the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional levels.

The analogy of leaders getting 'shot' like Stonewall Jackson on a horse, compared to soldiers in the trenches, is used to illustrate the disinclination to put oneself out and the fear of leadership's risks.

Or he may be flabby and out of shape and not have the strength to do more than he's presently doing. Or he may have learned that leaders get shot, that it's better to be like one of the soldiers in the trenches than to be up there on a horse like Stonewall Jackson, just inviting bullets to come your way. All in all, we need to recognize and deal with any lack of desire in us to make more effort. And this at the mental, the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional levels.

31:01 - 31:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and deal with any lack of desire in you to make more effort at the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional levels.

A pastor's report describing his deacons as 'low-level maintenance' who needed him to initiate everything is used to highlight the common problem of abdication and the need for deacons of initiative.

Who could say, go, come, do this, and things happened. Instead, we live in a day when reports are all too common like this one that I received a while ago from a pastor who described his deacons as follows. They were basically a low-level maintenance diaconate that needed me to initiate just about everything. My hope for this group of men is that they will catch a vision for what can be done as our church.

32:21 - 32:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the godly grace of vision and initiative.

The analogy that 'vision is contagious like a good flu bug' is used to encourage deacons to develop close ties with their pastors to 'catch the vision' for the church's future.

But secondly, and more expansively, besides humility and contentment, we need to cultivate the godly grace of vision and initiative. May I suggest seven ways to cultivate, to increase your personal drive, your vision, your initiative, and your support in the context of the tasks of the local church. First, develop close, organic, or we might say body ties with the leadership of your church. Like a good flu bug, the sense of vision is contagious.

37:12 - 37:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the godly grace of vision and initiative.

Examples like a fishing trip, trimming shrubs, or accompanying a pastor on a visit are given as ways to create opportunities for deacons to interact closely with pastors and catch their vision.

The closer you get, the more likely you are to catch it. Look for and make opportunities to rub shoulders with your pastors. Maybe a fishing trip? Maybe trimming shrubs together in the backyard?

37:51 - 38:05 Read in full sermon

The point: When you get close to godly, capable leaders, don't be intimidated by their greater talents or experience; learn from them and start down that same path.

The examples of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are used to encourage deacons not to be intimidated by greater talents or experience, but to learn and start small in their leadership journey.

Don't give up just because you can't be Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson. Learn from them what soldiering is all about. And start down that same path, even though you're relatively green.

38:55 - 39:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Start small in your service, knowing that faithfulness in small things leads to greater things.

The example of the widow's might is used to illustrate that faithfulness in small things is noticed by God, encouraging deacons to start small in their service.

This leads into a fourth suggestion, which is to start small. Jesus said that faithfulness would be displayed in small things and then in the greater. You should not be reluctant to start small and work your way up. Your service is spiritual service, and the widow's might is noticed more by God than the excess gifts of the overly wealthy.

39:07 - 39:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Read about and closely imitate godly examples in the Bible who were leaders in positions under authority (Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, David, Nehemiah, Paul, and especially Jesus Christ).

Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, David, Nehemiah, and the Apostle Paul are listed as biblical examples of leaders who served effectively while under authority, to be imitated by deacons.

Imitate this example. Fifth, read and closely imitate godly examples in the Bible. If you would be a leader in a position under authority, read about Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, David, Nehemiah, even the Apostle Paul. Above all, read about and imitate Jesus Christ.

39:31 - 39:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and fight against negative cultural influences and personal weaknesses that lead to a disinclination for leadership.

Examples of an ideal employee, a wife full of ideas but submissive, and a loyal citizen are used to illustrate the value of subordinates who think, initiate, and lead within settled authority.

of settled authority. Think of having such an employee. Aren't you glad when you have one? Or a wife who's full of ideas but submissive to your leadership?

41:26 - 41:36 Read in full sermon